Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) apparatus disposed in an automotive vehicle, and more particularly, to an HVAC apparatus configured for controlling triple zones in the vehicle individually.
Description of Related Art
The HVAC apparatus refers to an apparatus for maintaining conditions such as temperature, humidity, etc. of a room in a proper state. Automotive vehicles are equipped with an air conditioner for cooling, heating and ventilation. The term “heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) apparatus” refers to such an air conditioner.
Such an HVAC apparatus performs its function by repeating processes of compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating a refrigerant by a compressor configured to compress, a condenser configured to condense, an evaporator configured to evaporate, etc.
A conventional HVAC apparatus for an automotive vehicle adopted a single-zone control system which controls the overall interior of the vehicle at a single temperature, or a dual-zone control system which controls temperature of a driver seat side and temperature of a passenger seat side independently. In recent years, a triple-zone control system for controlling temperature of a rear seat side of the vehicle as well individually has been researched and developed.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a triple-zone control system.
This is a single mixing type in that the air for the front seat and the rear seat of the vehicle passes through one mixing zone.
In the present HVAC apparatus, when the air cooled by an evaporator 11 passes through a heat exchanger 12 under the control of a temperature door 13, the air becomes heated, whereas when the air cooled by the evaporator does not pass through the heat exchanger, the air maintains its cool temperature. In addition, it is possible to control the temperature to a desired temperature by allowing cold air and hot air to be mixed in a mixing zone according to degree of openness of the temperature door 13.
The air directed to the front seat side is expelled to a defrost vent, a face vent and a foot vent through a mixing zone for the front seat wherein the defrost vent, the face vent and the foot vent are controlled by a defrost door 14, a face door 15 and a foot door 16 respectively.
In addition, the air directed to the rear seat side is expelled to a rear seat vent through a mixing zone for the rear seat. The above is controlled by a rear seat door 17.
In the triple-zone HVAC apparatus in the present example, a structure of the lower area shown as a bold dotted line is added to control the air directed to the rear seat side, resulting in the addition of three rear seat doors and two actuators for controlling the doors.
As a result, size and manufacturing cost of the apparatus are increased.
FIG. 2 shows an example of an up and down mixing type triple-zone HVAC apparatus, schematically illustrating a front view in a direction of blowing the air.
The present case is an apparatus of which a blowing zone is divided into zones 1, 2 and 3 wherein the zone 1 corresponds to a zone of the driver seat and is controlled by opening and closing a driver seat face door 21 at an upper side and a driver seat foot door 23 at a lower side; while the zone 2 is controlled by opening and closing a passenger seat face door 22 at the upper side and a passenger seat foot door 24 at the lower side.
The zone 3 is controlled by opening and closing a rear seat door 25 as a zone of a rear seat.
Each of the doors illustrated is controlled in such a manner that warm air is blown when a central side is opened whereas cold air is blown when the door is opened upwardly and downwardly.
The above corresponds to an apparatus in which flow paths are simplified compared to the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, but requires five doors for three-zone control and three actuators for controlling doors in the zones 1, 2 and 3.
That is, one door and one actuator are additionally required and a structure for various links is additionally required, with the result that the structure is complicated and the cost is increased.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.